Sabbath Rest//Part 2
My last post was about why I feel the need for this rest called Sabbath. Before I go into how we've decided to observe Sabbath and what it looks like for our family, I'd like to clarify what I believe Sabbath is not. Sabbath is a gift for us, not a task to be performed to ensure a ticket to heaven. In the three weeks since I began to implement purposeful rest into our weekly schedule, I have become even more confident that God knows what He's talking about. Not only that, but I have rediscovered His goodness. The Bible says in James that every good and perfect gift is from above. Rest is a gift from God and it is good.
It's more than a gift though. It's a commandment; the fourth out of nine others that most Christians agree are expected to be obeyed. That alone should let us know that as counter-cultural as it is, it is for our own good. God certainly didn't rest for His good. Psalm 121:4 says that He Who watches over Israel never sleeps or slumbers. God exemplified this blessed rest for His children. So, why aren't more believers taking advantage of this supernatural rest? We have so much on our plates that we can never seem to get it all done, and it is wearing us out. I've decided that my to-do list can wait, and so far I have found that somehow I seem to get more done in six days than I could in seven.
What does grace have to do with Sabbath? Well, it means that while I do want to take this commandment more seriously than I have in the past, I do not want to hold it higher than any other commandment and turn it into my stamp of approval from Jesus. I don't expect that I'll keep it perfectly (because I'm not perfect, remember? 😉), but it will now be something I strive to be mindful of and look forward to for my own sanity. Thank you, Jesus, for rest for this tired mama!
It's more than a gift though. It's a commandment; the fourth out of nine others that most Christians agree are expected to be obeyed. That alone should let us know that as counter-cultural as it is, it is for our own good. God certainly didn't rest for His good. Psalm 121:4 says that He Who watches over Israel never sleeps or slumbers. God exemplified this blessed rest for His children. So, why aren't more believers taking advantage of this supernatural rest? We have so much on our plates that we can never seem to get it all done, and it is wearing us out. I've decided that my to-do list can wait, and so far I have found that somehow I seem to get more done in six days than I could in seven.
Yes, it is in the Old Testament. Yes, Jesus fulfilled the law. And yes, I believe that we are still to observe it even today (for our benefit). Exodus 31:16 says it is a perpetual covenant for the children of Israel...or Abraham's seed...or anyone who believes in Jesus Christ's sacrifice for sin. (Galatians 3:29 "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.") The difference today is that because of Jesus, we have grace. The Sabbath is no different from any other commandment in that I can be forgiven for skipping it or doing it "wrong". It can also look different for each family. It doesn't have to be on Saturday. The Bible says in Exodus 34:21 that we're to work for six days and rest on the seventh. Keeping the commandments, although a natural response out of our love for God, are not what gets us to heaven. God gave His only begotten Son so that we would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). He is my righteousness, even though I sin on a daily basis. Yep.
Surprise! I'm a Christian. I'm not perfect,
and I'm not a hypocrite.
Whatever is not of faith is sin. That's what the Bible says in Romans 14:23. God is still working on me because Philippians 1:6 says that "he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" and on that day I will be like Him (1 John 3:2), but for now I am a big ball of flesh who has weaknesses. I'm like Paul in Romans 7:15 when he said "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." That's why I'm so thankful that God made a way and that I am victorious over sin through Jesus. He died in my, our, place!
We sing a song at church by Bryan and Katie Torwalt called Champion that says "The debt I owed, You paid in blood." It gets me every time. When I think about the agony that my Jesus willingly suffered for my sin I can't help but feel thankful and undeserving. That's what is so awesome about God's love. None of us deserve it. That's the beauty of it, and it's the thing that the world doesn't want you to know. The world would have you believe that you have to be perfect to come to God, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Jesus loves you. Period. End of discussion. His feelings for you do not change because of what you have done. Proverbs 24:16 says that the righteous may fall but they keep getting up. The bottom line is found in Romans 10:9-10. Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins and that three days later He raised Him from the dead? Confess He is Lord and you're on your way to heaven. Jesus made it that simple. If you made that first step for the first time after reading this I would love to hear from you. I'd love to try to answer your questions and tell you about the next step, which is baptism.
What does grace have to do with Sabbath? Well, it means that while I do want to take this commandment more seriously than I have in the past, I do not want to hold it higher than any other commandment and turn it into my stamp of approval from Jesus. I don't expect that I'll keep it perfectly (because I'm not perfect, remember? 😉), but it will now be something I strive to be mindful of and look forward to for my own sanity. Thank you, Jesus, for rest for this tired mama!
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